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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. season — in sport
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cold — not warm
  18. season — of the year
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stand — to bear
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitch — completely
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com